Mrs. Della “Ditty” Hayes Stevens, 92, passed away Friday, September 18, 2020. Ditty was born on May 21, 1928, the youngest of seven children to the late Robert Early Hayes and Della Murchison Hayes in her family home on Broadfoot Ave. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Lt. Colonel (retired) Grant Stevens, Jr., her five brothers Earl, Alton, Eddy, Frank and Charles and her sister Mary Ruth and their spouses.
Ditty is survived by her son Douglas Hayes Stevens, her daughter Sharon Stevens Brown and her husband Lt. Colonel (retired) Roy Allyn Brown, Jr., and two grandsons Roy Allyn Brown III of Greenville and Steven Grant Brown and many nieces and nephews.
Ditty grew up in and stayed very involved in First Baptist Church in Fayetteville where she started singing at weddings as a little girl. She stayed devoted to her church all her life even as she and her family moved around quite a lot as an Army family. She sang in the choir in every church she attended all those years as well and now she is singing with the angels in heaven.
Ditty volunteered with the Red Cross at Womack Army Hospital for 22 years, starting the year her beloved husband died in 1987 until 2009 when she was unable to any more. She also volunteered at First Baptist Church delivering flowers to church members living in nursing homes and assisted living homes including the Heritage Place where she later lived for 11 years until she passed away.
Because of social distancing, a walk-through family viewing of 25 people or less at a time will be at Jernigan Warren Funeral Home Tuesday, September 22, starting at 3:00. A private family funeral will be held Wednesday, September 23, at 3:00 at the First Baptist Church at the corner of Anderson and Olds Streets followed by a graveside service at Cross Creek Cemetery on Ann St. where all are welcome to attend.
Services are entrusted to Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home, 545 Ramsey St. Fayetteville, N.C. 28301.
Online condolences may be made at http://www.jerniganwarren.com
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